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I found a wonderful property, however it is serviced by a well, not a municipal water supply. Through research, I have learned that the well will need to be tested annually. I am more concerned about hidden costs and what my options would be in the worst case scenario if the well ran dry. How much does it cost to drill another? How long do wells typically remain serviceable? I would especially appreciate feedback from folks with direct experience. thanks!!
I found a wonderful property, however it is serviced by a well, not a municipal water supply. Through research, I have learned that the well will need to be tested annually. I am more concerned about hidden costs and what my options would be in the worst case scenario if the well ran dry. How much does it cost to drill another? How long do wells typically remain serviceable? I would especially appreciate feedback from folks with direct experience. thanks!!
The following is a good read on well and septic (since they usually go hand in hand) care and maintenance:
You don't "need" to test your water annually (its not required by statute, etc...) but if you want to you certainly can. As far as costs, you need to have a good home inspector look over all of the equipment that can be inspected (well head, pressure tank, softener-if applicable) and ensure that its in good working order, and if not, that the life expectancy is assessed so that you can negotiate appropriately. As far as a well running dry, that's not a common occurrence, and as long as you are not exceeding the delivery rate of the well, it's generally not an issue. The real issue is the pump. The pump is placed in the bottom of the well after it is drilled so it is not possible to inspect it-it either works or it doesn't. That said you should do your best to discern the age, since they generally last about 20 years. Replacing a well pump involves hauling up the pump along with all of the delivery pipe and electrical cable and then dropping the new one down the casing-very labor intensive.
With regard to serviceable life of the well itself, modern deep drilled bedrock wells started to come into widespread residential use post WWII and are still producing with no issue 70 years later. Cost to drill another well can vary quite a bit depending on how deep the aquifer is and what has to be drilled through in order to get to it. In one area you could find water at 75' and only have to drill through 30' of rock at the bottom, and in another area you could have to go as deep as 250'. Again though, provided you're not filling your swimming pool while your entire family showers, cooks, washes clothes, and does dishes, you should not be exceeding the delivery rate of the well.
We had well water when we lived in Sussex Cty. The only time we had any issue was when the motor was struck by lightening. No water until we had it replaced. We never had it tested., nor did our buyers ask for one. Wells are common in that area.
This was very helpful-thank you so much. I didn't realize just how commonplace wells are in this part of NJ. I will make sure to pay close attention to the age of the pump.
Keep in mind that wells run on electricity. So during a power outage you will have no water. I grew up in a house that had well water and we were in an area prone to power outages. It's pretty annoying when you can't flush the toilet...
Also, well water tends to be very hard with a lot of minerals. So it is not going to taste very good for drinking. My parents had to install a water softening filtration system because the hardness of the water was causing leaks in the pipes throughout the house.
Give you one quick tip. Wells are extremely local. There is no good advice except from locals and the closer the better. There simply are virtually no general rules
The well is evaluated by quality and quantity. The local pretty much determines how reliable a well is and its likely life.
Our wells here for instance are deep and expensive. Pumps fail every ten or twelve years and have to be replaced...but the wells almost never fail.
Quality and quantity will both be a very local issue. On shallow wells a block may make a difference. Here the deeper wells go into a large aquifer and there is little difference over miles other than elevation which determines how deep you have to go to reach the aquifer.
There is generally some sort of a well maintenance operation who may be able to give you a very good view of the local well situation and your own equipment.
Keep in mind that wells run on electricity. So during a power outage you will have no water. I grew up in a house that had well water and we were in an area prone to power outages. It's pretty annoying when you can't flush the toilet.
Forgot to mention that. A generator with a hardwired transfer switch capable of powering the pump should be considered mandatory IMO.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ansky
Also, well water tends to be very hard with a lot of minerals. So it is not going to taste very good for drinking. My parents had to install a water softening filtration system because the hardness of the water was causing leaks in the pipes throughout the house.
Not necessarily-my in-laws in Sussex County have the best tasting water I've ever had and they have a modern drilled well with no softener at all. The mineral content and resulting taste of the water depends entirely upon local geology as lvmensch points out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tom1944
We have well water and it was only tested prior to our closing.
The only time testing is mandated by state law is when properties change hands. Any other testing is purely at the owners' discretion. That said, it's not a bad idea to do once in a while.
Badfish740 is correct. Lived in a house in Harding Township with a well for 25 years. Replaced the pump in year 24. House was 10 yrs old when we bought it. Water tasted great. We were in a high water table so the guy that replaced the pump said we'd never run out of water. Only issue as mentioned above- not electric- no water.
Badfish740 is correct. Lived in a house in Harding Township with a well for 25 years. Replaced the pump in year 24. House was 10 yrs old when we bought it. Water tasted great. We were in a high water table so the guy that replaced the pump said we'd never run out of water. Only issue as mentioned above- not electric- no water.
Above ground storage mostly solves that problem. Put in a 500 gallons tank and keep it mostly full. Getting 3 or 4 feet above ground and it will supply toilets and such. Add a couple of hundred worth of pump and batteries and you can get through a couple of days. If you live in the back country than you get a good generator set up.
We have very reliable electric service so we ignore the problem. worse come to worse we carry water to the toilets and bath in buckets. But once in 15 years? We will survive.
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